Switching mechanism



June 24, 1930. D, L, LINDQUlsT ETAL SWITCHING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet l Original Filed Feb. 3, 1925 an m w www@ 37o mm fsw Lmm M MM 6 ZN S 4 @A F Y E N R O T T A June-24, 19h30. D, 1 LINDQUlsT Er AL Y' 1,767,892

SWITCHING MECHANISM Original Filed Feb. 3, 1925l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /oo 95m /mo 97 158 e1- *L* a2 .J

Y F /0'1 6 /04v /03 5y I' El' "I Arronnu Patented Jun 24, 1930I UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE DAVID L. LINDQUIST, OF HARTSDALE, NEW YORK, EDWARD L. DUNN, OF EAST GRAN GE, NEW JERSEY, AND DAVID C. `LABSON, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TO OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY swIroHrNG MECHANISM Original application iiled February 3, 1925, Serial No. 6,561. Divided and this application tiled October 16, 1925. Serial No. 62,769.

`This application is a division of applica-l tion Serial N o. 6,561, filed February 3, 1925.

The present invention relates to switching mechanism.

In the parent application above referred to, a system is described for controlling a single elevator car or a bank of elevator cars. In the system, the starting of the car is under the control of an operator in the car. One feature of the system is to have the car stop to discharge passengers at floors selected by the operator Without further act on his part, once he has selected the floors, other than causing the starting of the car after each successive stop.

In order to obtain such operation, use is made of a plurality of push button switches arranged within'the car. These switches are arranged to be operated individually into closed positions. Electromagnetic means common to all these switches is provided for retaining the switches operated in closed positions. The mechanism is arranged in an enclosure, the whole arrangement being de s-` ignated in the parent application as the car operating box. As the car travels up and down the hatchway, it is brought to a stop to discharge passengers at the landings corresponding to these switches operated. The

" construction system is arranged so that thepvswitches are maintained operated until the car reaches a terminal whereupon the electromagnetic means is deenergized and the switches are simultaneously released.

One feature of the invention is the provision of switching mechanism of the above character which is of simple and compact and wherein the various switches are positive in the control of their respective circuits.

Other features and advantages will become apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein one embodiment ofthe invention is illustrated and in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of vthe car operating box;

Figure 2 is a similar view with the cover plates removed;

Figure 3 is a view in vertical section taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a view in horizontal section taken along the line 4 4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a view of the push button switches with parts shown in section; and

Figure 6 is a view taken along line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Referring to the drawings, the car operating box, designated as a whole by numeral 10, is separated into an upper and lower compartment, the upper compartment 11 for the magnetic push button apparatus and the lower compartment 12 for various control switches employed in the system. The compartments may be joined in any suitable manner, for example by means of bolts as illustrated.

The lower compartment comprises a casving 13 and cover plate 14 within which the ranged in a group and mounted in an insulating box 23. The switches are separated by insulating partitions 24. The auxiliary motor, emergency cut-out and light switches are similarly arranged in insulating box 25. The boxes 23and 25 are secured to the casing 13.

Safety switch 15, slow speed switch 16, non-stop switch 17 and light switch 21 may be of any suitable construction, being illustrated as double pole, single throw knife switches. Each switch is provided with an operating lever 26. Apcrtures 27, through which these levers extend, are provided in the cover plate 14. The safety switch, slow speed switch and light switch are provided with toggle arrangements (not shown), of any well known construction, for maintaining the switches in either closed or open positions. The two blades of the safety switch, slow speed switch and light switch are electrically connected. The blades of the nonstop switch, however, are unconnected., forming in effect two separate switches 28 and 80. The non-stop switch is spring-biased to closed position. I he light switch is used for completing the circuit to the lamp in theI electrolier in the car.

Auxiliary motor switch 18 in effect forms two switches 81 and 82. 'Ihe switches are arranged in any suitable manner for connection to a. common feed and are biased by means of a. spring (not shown) tending to maintain them in open position.

rlfhe operating lever 26 for the switches extends through an additional aperture 2T provided in cover plate 14.

rl`he emergency cut-out switch 2O is a double pole switch, spring-biased to open position. The switch is mounted behind a glass plate 88 arranged in an aperture 84 in cover plate 14. rEhe glass plate 88 is held against a seat, formed around the aperture 84, by means of retainer 85. The retainer is formed with an aperture 86 for supporting the switch operating button 8'?. In operation, the glass plate must be broken before the switch can he closed.

Pairs of starting switch contacts 88 4G, 41 and are mounted on a panel secured to the casing 18. Contact oars -l-.- and 45., bridging the pairs of contacts. are mor" .d on segment of insulating material. The segment 46 is oar d by f segmental support 47, being securec as by means of screws in the r.

trated. i *77 is pivotally moun snindle sec-` ed in a boss formed on the base of casing 18. el positionir collar 51 is pinned to spindle between sides of support 47. centering r 2 is pivotally mounted between the sides su:- port 4'? and is aranged coogeivl 'th arms 58 and 54 to return ing swi 'n to oft or neu alt position. These arms are pivotally mounted on the base of the casing by means of pins are i inst limit stops 56 by 'mean of a ing T. The stops arranged. s ti 4"he centering ari. s cannot return the starting switch beyond the neutral position. Spring 57, however, will yield and permit the starting switch to be moved into its operative or contact bridging position.

Casing cover 14 is rovided with another aperture 58 for receiving the segmental support hub 60. Starting switch lever 61 is secured to the exterior end of the hub. 'W ith the starting lever in neutral l position, locking pin 62, provided on the lever, eX- tends into an aperture 68 in cover plate 14. Pin 62 may be withdrawn from the aperture by outward movement of the st ing switch handle 64, as is well understood in the art.

An arcuate boss 65 is formed on cover plate 14 under the end ofthe starting lever. 7Stops 66 for the starting lever are arranged at each end of the boss, an intermediate oblique surface being provided at close position. Three operative positions are indicated on the cover plate, namely Close, Start and Open. For convenience of description, these positions will be hereinafter referred to as position I, position II and position III respectively.

In operation, as the starting switch is moved to the left, pin 62 will strike against the oblique surface of the boss 65, indicating that position I has been reached. In this position, contact bar 44 will bridge contacts 88 and contact bar 45 will bridge contacts 41. As the starting switch is moved farther to the left, the starting lever 61 will strike stop 66, indicating that position II has been reached. In this position, contact bar 44 will bridge contacts 42. Upon reverse movement of the starting switch to position III, contact bar 44 will bridge contacts 40. TWhenever released, the starting switch will be returned to neutral position, by the centering mechanism described above, where pin 62 will engage aperture to lock the switch in position.

rEhe upper or magnetic push button coinpartment 11 similarly comprises a casingl 3? and cover plate 68 within 'which the magnetic push button apparatus is enclosed. The push button magnet T0 coinprises a rectangular coil '.71 arranged in elongated iron channels 72 and 78. The magnet is secured at each end to an insulating base L as by means of straps 75. The

push button switches, 76,I 7'?, 78 and 8O for the s fourth, sixth and eighth iloors e are pivotally mounted on a shale auch manner that their armatures ver iron channel 78. Similarly,

button switches, 88 84., 85 and 86 ninth floors are pivotally moi shaft aic staggered in relai switches 76, W, I8 and 80. rl'he armatures switches 88, 84. 85 and entend over iron channel 72. 'Ihc switches are positioned hv means of pins 87 extending through shaft 81. The shaft is secured, as by screws, in supports 88 mounted on au insulating plate 90. @perating buttons 91 for the switches extend through apertures 92 in cover plate 68.

.Referring more particularly to Figures 5 and 6, the push button switch details will be described. In Figure 5 two switches are shown, one in open and the other in closed position. The pivoted end of armature 82 is formed with prongs 98 between which pin 87 entends. Stop 94, and a similar stop 95 shown in Figure 4, coextensive with shaft 81, are mounted on insulating plate 90 and are arranged to cooperate with the prongs 98 to limit the upward movement of the armature. The central portion of the armature is formed with an opening 96 `outer end of the contact lever 98.

across, which a pin 97 extends. The pin is secured in the armature at each side'of the is maintained between lever 98 and armature i 82, so long as the switch-is in open position, by the engagement of projection 102 on the lever and the outer end of the armature. A stationary contactA 103 is mounted on insulating base 74 in the path of the The stationary contact is provided with a lug 104 adapted for connecting the switch in the system.

In operation, pushing button 91 moves armature 82 and contact lever 98 down against the. force of spring 101 until the lever engages stationary Contact 103. Then' armature 82 moves alone until its outer end engages flange 105 of the iron channel 73, spring 101 acting to maintain ,the contact lever and contact in en agement. With magnet coil 71 energized, t is flange forms one pole of a U shaped magnet, reik taining the switch in closed position. By thls arrangement, the A,positive engagement of the switch `contacts is insured oncethe button has been pressed suiciently to cause the switch to be maintained in operated position. It is preferred to provide an air gap between the armature and the polev ormedgby flange 106 of ironchannel 7,3,

as by shortenin the flange, so as to prevent the armature rom beingA held in by resi'dual magnetism. Upon deenergization of magnet coil 71, sprin 101 forces the arma- .ture into released position with prongs 93 abuttmg against sto 94. The armature in its movement strlkesxprojection 102 a blow, thus insuring the separation of contact 'lever 98 and stationary contact 103 to open-the switch. It will be seenthat as man buttons may be pushed las ma be'desire all of which will be retained in lclosed position in the above described manner so long as the magnet remains energized. Conductors 107 are in the circuit for magnet coil 71 (see Figure 2). A 'circuit'for a push button switch may be traced from conductor 108 to a stationary contact `103, through the switch to shaftv 81, support 88, to conductor 110.

Suitable conduits 111 are provided for the various conductors leading to and from the car operatin box. Casin `mounting the box in the car.

13 and 67 The magnetic push button apparatus is illustrated as arranged for. aten Hoor elevator installation, but it is. to be understood that it lmay be arranged for an installation of any number of' floors. Push buttons for the first and tenth floors have not been included as the system is arranged to stop automatically at these floors. The system is also arranged to efect the deenergization of the magnet coil 7l to release all the switches which have. beenoperated as the car is brought to a stop at the terminals.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention* could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shownl in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted assillustrative and not in a limiting sense.

'What is claimedy is:

1. In combination; a plurality of individually operable push button switches; a plurality of armatures, one for each of said switches; an electromagnet common to all of said armatures, said electromagnet being arranged l to be energized regardless of whether an of said push button switches are operate or not and being adapted, when energized, to cooperatewith the armatures of all the switches that are operated to maintain said operated switches in their option, regardless of when during the time sov that the electromagnet is energized the switches are operated; and means for "caus-k ing the operated switches to be restored to their inoperative positions upon the deenergization of said electromagnet.

buttons; a plurality of armatures, one for each of ysaid push buttons, said armatures being adapted to be independently depressed by their respective push buttons; an electroma net common to Aall of said armatures, sai electromagnet being arranged to be energized regardless of whether any of said .armatures are depressed or not and being adapted, when energized, to maintain all of said armatures that are depressed in depressed positions after' their depression by their respective push buttons, regardless of` Y2. In combination; a plurality of push' the order that said armatures are depressed and regardless of when during rthe time that said electromagnet lis energized said armaturesr are depressed; a plurality of airs of contacts, one pair foreach of sai ar'matures, each pair of'icontacts being adapted to be closed when its armature is depressed and separated when its armature is released; and means for causing the simultaneous release of all the depressed armatures upon the deenergization of said electromagnet.

3. In combination; aI plurality of movable contacts; a plurality of stationary contacts, one for each of said movable contacts, said stationary Contacts being disposed in the path of movement of their respective movable contacts; a plurality of armatures, one for each of said movable contacts; a plurality of push buttons, one for each of said A armatures, said push buttons being manually operable individually to cause the depression o their respective armatures and the engagement of the movable contacts-corresponding to the armatures depressed with their respectivestationary contacts; an electromagnet common to all of said armatures, said electromagnet being arranged to be energized regardless of Whether any of said movable contacts are in engagement with their respective stationary contacts or not and being adapted, when energized, to maintain all of said armatures that are depressed in depressed positions after their depression by their respective push buttons, regardless of the number off-said armatures that are depressed, their order of depression, or When during the time that said' electromagnet is energized said armatures are depressed; and a plurality of resilient means, one for each of said armatures, each ,resilient means cooperating withl said electromagnet and its armature when depressed to malntain the movable contact and stationary contact corresponding to its armaf ture in engagement, the resilient means for the depressed armatures causing the simultaneous release of their respective armatures and the separation of the contacts corresponding thereto upon the deenergization of said electromagnet.

In testimony whereof, We have signed our names to this specification.

DAVID L. LINDQUIST. EDWARD L. DUNN. DAVID C. LARSON. 

